A Matter of Trust
by CarrieT
Summary: Mateo is attempting a new spell, and Elena is starting to regret volunteering.


_**Before I begin, I'd like to thank all the lovely people who reviewed my last fic! Your feedback is encouraging and very appreciated!**_

"You're _sure_ this is safe?"

Elena peered carefully over the precipice. The drop wasn't terribly frightening, only fifteen feet or so. For someone like Elena, those odda ere pretty good, even with the slow moving river underneath her. No, the drop wasn't scary.

The idea of putting her safety in the hands of a wizard-in-training was.

Mateo came up next to her, looking down. "Yeah! It'll be fine" he assured her.

The princess raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you told Naomi before she broke her leg?"

"I fixed it!" Mateo insisted.

"Still!"

Mateo heaved a sigh, perhaps an overly dramatic one. "You don't have to do this" he insisted.

"Well, Naomi won't, and I'm pretty sure that's your only other friend" Elena teased, gesturing to Mateo's tamborita. He crossed his arms and smirked proudly.

"It's certainly nicer than you" he joked back.

Elena slugged her friend playfully. He laughed, twirling the instrument between his fingers, for once not hitting himself in the head while doing so. Elena had the sneaking suspicion he practiced every day, like the dork that he was. She almost smiled as she imagined him practicing over and over until he had it right. Then again, she wasn't much better about such things.

"You ready?"

Elena jumped, the sudden sound of rushing water and Mateo's voice pulling her back to reality. She looked over the cliff again, a cold chill suddenly running down her spine. She swallowed.

"As I'll ever be" she managed.

"Hey"

Mateo placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him with wide eyes. He offered her a sympathetic smile in return. "The drop's not bad. And I know I can catch you" he assured her. "Are you sure? Really sure?"

"Mateo, calm down. I'm fine!" the princess insisted, although that might have been a lie. She wasn't one to be afraid of heights, since she rode her jaquins almost everywhere. And she had always been a good swimmer, so the water wasn't daunting either. She chewed her lip, wondering frantically why her gut was twisting in such a way.

"What if we jumped together?"

Elena creased her eyebrows in amazement. "Are you kidding?"

Mateo shook his head. "No. I guess I'll feel a little better if we both get hurt. Then we can share the blame"

With a small chuckle, Elena shook her head. "No, I think we're both in trouble no matter what"

The wizard shrugged. "My offer stands"

The wind suddenly sprang up, and both teens turned to view the horizon, hair blowing around their face. A few dark clouds were steaking across the very edge of the sea.

"Well, if we're gonna go through with this, we should do it now" Mateo said.

"Agreed"

For a few seconds, they both stood silently, contemplating their potentially awful decision. The wind started to blow even harder, urging them to take a few steps closer to the cliff's edge. Mateo turned to glance at Elena. feeling slightlt relieved to see she was just as nervous as himself. He offered her a hand.

"Count of three?"

She took the offered hand, squeezing tightly. Through her death grip, he felt her hand shaking. He vowed then and there to get this spell right. Raising his tamborita, he began to count.

"Three... two..."

Elena closed her eyes.

"One!"

For a few seconds, they were falling, falling further than Elena had ever though possible. The short drop suddenly felt endless. Her stomach was in her throat, her heart was beating so quickly she thought it might burst, and the rush of air pulled her hair back so sharply is brought tears to her eyes. The only solid thing was Mateo, holding tightly to her hand.

She was falling, falling, and Elena Castillo-Florez thought she was going to die.

At some point, Mateo must have uttered the magic words, but they were swept away by the wind.

Suddenly, there was pressure at her chest and they both landed onto a shimmering, springy surface with the feel of a large fishing net. they both rolled towards the middle, as the spell curved under their weight. Elena lay still for a moment, only vaguely aware of Mateo, who was lying nest to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Elena? Elena?!"

She sat up quickly, wiping tears from her eyes. "Yeah! I'm fine, I'm good. Head rush, that's all.

Mateo sighed with relief, brushing some loose hairs from Elena's face before placing both hand on her shoulders. "Good. Your sure you're alright?"

Elena rolled her eyes again, pushing Mateo's hands away playfully and nodding. "Yes, I'm sure"

Before she could say anything else, Mateo threw his arms around her, pulling her close for a hug. She hugged him back, suddenly feeling very calm and content. She caught the unmistakable scent of parchment and ink on Mateo's robes, making her smile a little wider. They pulled away, Mateo's hands still on her shoulders. The princess grinned.

"Can we do that again?" she asked.

Thunder boomed in the distance, and the magic net wavered slightly as the teen jumped closer together in surprise.

Mateo winced. "Maybe another time..."

 ** _Ok, a little fluffier than the last one. And yes, this is a bad idea. But what can I say? They're kids, reckless ones at that._**

 ** _Also, is it a wand? I'm honestly not sure..._**

 ** _More Elenateo soon! Love the feedback!_**


End file.
